Generic Names Supporting Organization: Difference between revisions

The '''Generic Names Supporting Organization''' (GNSO) is a policy-development body which is responsible for developing and recommending to the [[ICANN Board]] substantive policies relating to generic top-level domains ([[Generic top-level domain|gTLDs]]). The GNSO is formed of Stakeholder Groups, themselves composed of [[Constituency|Constituencies]], which together form one [[SO|Supporting Organization]] to form consensus, set policy, and make evidence-informed recommendations.<ref>[http://gnso.icann.org/ GNSO.ICANN.org]</ref> The GNSO was previously known as the [[Domain Name Supporting Organization]] (DNSO), which it replaced in 2003.

Policy development within the GNSO is governed by the GNSO Council. The Council meets 12 times per year; four times face-to-face (three times at ICANN public meetings, and once at the [[GNSO Council Strategic Planning Session|Council Strategic Planning Session]]), and eight times via webinar.  

==Overview==  

The main objective of the GNSO is to ensure that [[gTLD]]s operate in a fair and orderly manner across the global Internet, without hindering innovation or competition. As ICANN sets policy by contract, the GNSO develops policy with the involvement of both the contracted and non-contracted parties who hold equal influence and equal voting rights. In addition, two independent appointments to the Council of non-voting members are made by [[NomCom|ICANN's Nominating Committee]]. 

''Non-Contracted Parties''

* [[Commercial Stakeholder Group]], 6 total appointments coming from the 3 constituencies  

** [[CBUC|Commercial and Business Users Constituency]], 2 appointments

** [[IPC|Intellectual Property Interests Constituency]], 2 appointments

* [[Registrars Stakeholder Group]], 3 appointments

* [[Registries Stakeholder Group]], 3 appointments

[[File:Gnso-council-ICANN 69.png|thumb|GNSO Council at ICANN 69, meeting virtually due to COVID-19]]

[[File:GNSO-Council.png|655px|thumbnail|right|Organizational Structure of the GNSO Council(Image from ICANN.org)]] The GNSO Council consists of 21 members, 20 of whom are voting members, and the Council has two houses. [[SG|Stakeholder Groups]] appoint 18 of their members to be involved in [[ICANN]]'s multistakeholder model. [[Sebastien Ducos]] is the current Chair and will serve until [[AGM]] 2022. [[Greg DiBiase]] was elected as the [[Contracted Party House]] GNSO Council Vice-Chair. [[John McElwaine]] was elected as the [[Non-Contracted Party House]] GNSO Council Vice-Chair.

===[[Nominating Committee Appointees#NomCom Appointment to GNSO Council|NCAs]]===

* [[Desiree Miloshevic]], Contracted Party House, Europe (AGM 2025)

* [[Anne Aikman Scalese]], non-voting, US, term ends AGM 2024

* [[Paul McGrady]], Non-contracted Party House, North America (AGM 2025)

===GNSO Council Liaisons & Observers===

* [[Everton Rodrigues|Everton T. Rodrigues]], ccNSO liaison, Latin America and the Caribbean

 

 

 

* [[Theo Geurts]], Europe, term expires AGM 2024

 

==='''[[Non-Contracted Party House]]'''===  

* [[Tomslin Samme-Nlar]], '''Vice-Chair''', Asia Pacific, term ends AGM 2024

* [[Lawrence Olawale-Roberts]], Africa, term ends AGM 2025

* [[Mark Datysgeld]], Latin America Caribbean, term ends AGM 2024

 

* [[Damon Ashcraft]], North America, term ends AGM 2025

* [[Susan Payne]], Europe, term ends AGM 2024

 

* [[Osvaldo Novoa]], Latin America Caribbean, term ends AGM 2024

 

====[[NCSG| Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group]]====

* [[Stephanie Perrin]], North America, term ends AGM 2024

* [[Manju Chen]], Asia Pacific, term ends AGM 2025

* [[Bruna Santos]], Latin America Caribbean, term ends AGM 2024

* [[Tomslin Samme-Nlar]], Asia Pacific, term ends AGM 2025

 

 

 

 

# Revising the Policy Development Process ([[PDP]])

# Advancing constituency procedures <ref name="gnso08">[https://gnso.icann.org/en/group-activities/inactive/2012/improvements/overview-en.htm ICANN.org Archive - GNSO Improvements Overview], last updated January 9, 2013</ref>

 

 

The Working Group on Council Restructuring developed a compromise position to gain consensus among the many diverse interests within the GNSO. The proposed bicameral council structure would divide contracted parties (registries and registrars) and non-contracted parties into two houses, much as the U.S. Congress is divided into two houses.<ref>[https://gnso.icann.org/mailing-lists/archives/council/doc5J7pHLFhmI.doc Report to the Board from the WG-GCR], July 25, 2008 (Word)</ref>

At [[ICANN 70]], [[Bertrand de la Chapelle]] participated in an ALAC session on "Reimagining ICANN’s Role; Responding to National Pressures."<ref>[https://70.schedule.icann.org/meetings/BkrH93jYyy6z56xEn ICANN 70 Archive: Reimagining ICANN's Role], March 23, 2021 (registration/login required)</ref> During a conversation about silos and their impact on the [[Multistakeholder Model|multistakeholder model]], de la Chapelle recalled the introduction of the two houses approach and offered this critique of the mindset of the working group participants:

<blockquote>...I participated in one of the calls that led to the restructuring of the GNSO and the creation of the two houses. If I can give a very frank assessment from the outside, I immediately felt that the main objective of the different entities and the different soon-to-become houses was to make sure one thing: that the other halves could not impose anything on them, period. Nothing was about how can we make it better so that we can solve problems together? I’m caricaturing a little bit, but I can tell you this was the feeling that I had exactly at the moment the proposal was made on the call. And I feel that it has remained a little bit in this way.<ref>[https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/content=t:attachment,f:%22I70CUN-Tue23Mar2021__At-Large%20Policy%20Sess-ICANN%20MultiS%20Model-New%20Legiss%20and%20Regs%20Chall%20and%20Opps-en.pdf Transcript of "Reimagining ICANN's Role"], March 23, 2021 (registration/login required)</ref></blockquote>

====PDP 3.0====

'''February 2020''' saw the culmination of a GNSO initiative called "PDP 3.0," when the GNSO released the "Final Report on the Implementation of GNSO Policy Development Process 3.0." [[PDP]] 3.0 refers to the GNSO Council initiative to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. During a GNSO Council’s Strategic Planning Session (SPS) in January 2018, a staff paper on GNSO PDP was shared, which led the GNSO Council to deliberate over the issues raised and identify challenges and improvements, especially concerning [[Working Group]]s. Then, the GNSO Council organize a session with PDP working group leadership and the broader community, which resulted in an updated version of the paper in May 2018. On October 24, 2018, the GNSO Council adopted 14 of the 17 recommendations listed in PDP 3.0.<ref>[https://gnso.icann.org/sites/default/files/file/field-file-attach/pdp-final-report-10feb20-en.pdf PDP 3.0 Final Report p.3]</ref>

# Criteria for joining of new members after a PDP working group is formed or re-chartered

# Active role for and clear description of Council liaison to PDP working groups

# Provide further guidance for section 3.6 (Standard Methodology for Decision Making) and clarification of section 3.7 in the GNSO Working Group Guidelines

# Notification to Council of changes in the work plan

# Make better use of existing flexibility in PDP to allow for data gathering, chartering, and termination when it is clear that no consensus can be achieved

A small team of GNSO Councilors led the implementation of PDP 3.0:

#: The WGs have too many members, and there is little balance between input and decisions

# Working Group Leadership

#: The expectations and reviews of WG leaders need to be clarified, and co-chairs need to coordinate

# Project Management

#: There is no project oversight nor adherence to a timeline

#: There is no guidance on how to reach a consensus

The implementation of PDP 3.0 has resulted in a series of work products that were first tested among GNSO [[EPDP]] WGs. They include:

# [[Statement of Participation]]

# Alternatives to the [[Working Group#WG Models and Guidelines|open WG model]]

# Active role for and clear description of Council liaison

# Notification to Council of change in work plan

# [[Consensus Playbook]]

=====Overlap with MSM Evolution=====

PDP 3.0 was also found to overlap significantly with ICANN's overarching aim to update its execution of the [[Multistakeholder Model]] (MSM).

In September 2012, ICANN senior executive [[Kurt Pritz]] sent a public email to [[GNSO]] Council Chairman [[Stephane Van Gelder]] advising him that [[URS]] implementation could begin after a year of delay. Implementing URS included a pair of open meetings in Fall 2012, including one at [[ICANN 45]] in Toronto. ICANN acknowledged the role played by the GNSO Council in developing and approving the model and said they were willing to "work in whichever way the GNSO wishes to proceed".<ref>[http://internetcommerce.org/URS_Implementation URS Implementation Finally to Commence Under GNSO Direction]. Internet Commerce Association. Published 2012 September 20.</ref>